Localization system and method

Abstract

A localization system includes a first sensor, configured to detect a vibration and generate a first electrical signal in response to the detection of the vibration; a second sensor, configured to detect a vibration and generate a second electrical signal in response to the detection of the vibration; a third sensor, configured to detect a vibration and generate a third electrical signal in response to the detection of the vibration; and a processor, configured to determine a position of a source of the vibration based on the first electrical signal, the second electrical signal, and the third electrical signal.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A localization system, comprising:
 a first sensor, configured to detect a vibration and generate a first electrical signal in response to the detection of the vibration; 
 a second sensor, configured to detect the vibration and generate a second electrical signal in response to the detection of the vibration; 
 a third sensor, configured to detect the vibration and generate a third electrical signal in response to the detection of the vibration; 
 a fourth sensor, different from each of the first sensor, the second sensor, and the third sensor, and configured to generate fourth sensor data representing a source of the vibration; and 
 a processor, configured to determine a first position of the source of the vibration based on the first electrical signal, the second electrical signal, and the third electrical signal; 
 wherein the processor is further configured to determine a second position of the source of the vibration based on the fourth sensor data and to identify a representation of a human in the fourth sensor data; and 
 wherein the processor is further configured to determine a likelihood that a source of the vibration is a human identified in the representation of the human, and if a magnitude of the likelihood that the source of the vibration is the human is outside of a predetermined range, modify a parameter of an artificial neural network. 
 
     
     
       2. The localization system of  claim 1 , wherein the artificial neural network comprises: an input layer, at least one middle layer, and an output layer;
 wherein the artificial neural network is configured to:
 receive the first electrical signal, the second electrical signal, and the third electrical signal at the input layer; 
 process the first electrical signal, the second electrical signal, and the third electrical signal through one or more hidden layers; and 
 generate from the output layer an output representing the first position; 
 wherein the processor determining the first position comprises the processor executing the neural network to determine the first position. 
 
 
     
     
       3. The localization system of  claim 2 , further comprising a memory, on which are stored first location data, representing a location of the first sensor; second location data, representing a location of the second sensor; and third location data, representing a location of the third sensor;
 wherein the artificial neural network is further configured to determine the first position of the source of the vibration based on the first location data, the second location data, and the third location data. 
 
     
     
       4. The localization system of  claim 1 , wherein the first sensor, the second sensor, and the third sensor are each inertial measurement unit sensors. 
     
     
       5. The localization system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor determining the first position of the source of the vibration based on the first electrical signal, the second electrical signal, and the third electrical signal comprises the processor:
 determining a first time difference between generation of the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal; 
 determining a second time difference between generation of the third electrical signal and either the first electrical signal or the second electrical signal; and 
 determining the first position of the source of the vibration based in the first time difference and the second time difference. 
 
     
     
       6. The localization system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor determining the likelihood that the source of the vibration is the human identified in the representation of the human comprises the processor determining from the fourth sensor data when the human changes location, and determining the likelihood proportionally to a temporal relationship between the human changing location and generation of any of the first electrical signal, the second electrical signal, or the third electrical signal. 
     
     
       7. The localization system of  claim 6 , wherein the processor determining the likelihood that the source of the vibration is the human identified in the representation of the human comprises the processor determining from the fourth sensor data whether the human changes location, if no human change of location is detected, modifying a parameter of the artificial neural network to disregard a detected vibration. 
     
     
       8. The localization system of  claim 7 , wherein the fourth sensor is any of a light detection and ranging (lidar) sensor; a radio detection and ranging (radar), an image sensor, or a depth camera. 
     
     
       9. The localization system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine an intersection of a first circle, having an origin at the first sensor and having a first radius; a second circle, having an origin at the second sensor, and having a second radius; and a third circle, having an origin at the third sensor, and having a third radius;
 wherein the second radius is determined as the first radius plus a value representing a time difference between generation of the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal; 
 wherein the third radius is determined as the first radius plus a value representing a time difference between generation of the first electrical signal and the third electrical signal; and wherein the processor is configured to determine the first position of the source of the vibration based on a location of the determined intersection. 
 
     
     
       10. The localization system of  claim 1 , further comprising a first zone and a second zone; wherein, the processor is configured to operate according to a first operational mode if the first position is within the first zone, and the processor is configured to operate according to a second operational mode if the first position is within the second zone. 
     
     
       11. The localization system of  claim 10 , wherein the processor operating according to the first operational mode comprises the processor sending an alert instruction, and wherein the processor operating according to the second operational mode comprises the processor not sending the alert instruction. 
     
     
       12. The localization system of  claim 11 , wherein the alert instruction is an instruction to implement a safety procedure, disable a machine, stop a process, sound an alarm, or any of these. 
     
     
       13. The localization system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to determine the first position of the source of the vibration if a magnitude of at least one of the first electrical signal, the second electrical signal, or the third electrical signal is within a predetermined range, and wherein the processor is configured not to determine the first position of the source of the vibration if the magnitude of each of the first electrical signal, the second electrical signal, and the third electrical signal is outside of the predetermined range. 
     
     
       14. The localization system of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more fourth sensors, configured to detect a vibration and generate one or more fourth electrical signals in response to the detection of the vibration; and
 wherein the processor is further configured to determine the first position of a source of the vibration based on the first electrical signal, the second electrical signal, the third electrical signal, and the one or more fourth electrical signals. 
 
     
     
       15. A non-transitory computer readable medium, comprising instructions which, if executed, cause one or more processor to:
 detect a vibration at a first location and generating a first electrical signal in response to the detection of the vibration; 
 detect the vibration at a second location and generating a second electrical signal in response to the detection of the vibration; 
 detect the vibration at a third location and generating a third electrical signal in response to the detection of the vibration; and 
 determine a first position of a source of the vibration based on the first electrical signal, the second electrical signal, and the third electrical signal, 
 wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the one or more processors to:
 determine a second position of the source of the vibration using additional sensor data to identify a representation of a human in the additional sensor data; and 
 adjust a parameter used to determine the first position based on a difference between the first position and the second position. 
 
 
     
     
       16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein determining the first position of the source of the vibration based on the first electrical signal, the second electrical signal, and the third electrical signal comprises:
 determining a first time difference between generation of the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal; 
 determining a second time difference between generation of the third electrical signal and either the first electrical signal or the second electrical signal; and 
 determining the first position of the source of the vibration based in the first time difference and the second time difference. 
 
     
     
       17. A localizer, comprising:
 a first sensing means, for detecting a vibration and generating a first electrical signal in response to the detection of the vibration; 
 a second sensing means, for detecting the vibration and generating a second electrical signal in response to the detection of the vibration; 
 a third sensing means, for detecting the vibration and generating a third electrical signal in response to the detection of the vibration; and 
 a processing means, for determining a first position of a source of the vibration based on the first electrical signal, the second electrical signal, and the third electrical signal, 
 wherein the processing means is further configured to:
 determine a second position of the source of the vibration using additional sensor data to identify a representation of a human in the additional sensor data; and 
 adjust a parameter used to determine the first position based on a difference between the first position and the second position. 
 
 
     
     
       18. The localizer of  claim 17 , further comprising an artificial neural network comprising: an input layer, at least one middle layer, and an output layer;
 wherein the artificial neural network is configured to:
 receive the first electrical signal, the second electrical signal, and the third electrical signal at the input layer; 
 process the first electrical signal, the second electrical signal, and the third electrical signal through one or more hidden layers; and 
 generate from the output layer an output representing the first position; 
 wherein the processing means determining the first position comprises the processing means executing the neural network to determine the first position. 
 
 
     
     
       19. The localizer of  claim 18 , further comprising a memory, on which are stored first location data, representing a location of the first sensing means; second location data, representing a location of the second sensing means; and third location data, representing a location of the third sensing means;
 wherein the artificial neural network is further configured to determine the first position of the source of the vibration based on the first location data, the second location data, and the third location data. 
 
     
     
       20. The localizer of  claim 17 , wherein the first sensing means, the second sensing means, and the third sensing means are each inertial measurement unit sensors. 
     
     
       21. The localizer of  claim 17 , wherein the processing means determining the first position of the source of the vibration based on the first electrical signal, the second electrical signal, and the third electrical signal comprises the processing means:
 determining a first time difference between generation of the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal; 
 determining a second time difference between generation of the third electrical signal and either the first electrical signal or the second electrical signal; and
 determining the first position of the source of the vibration based in the first time difference and the second time difference.